Snow pack, water salinity discussed at summit

Measurements show snow pack in the Uinta Basin at 90 percent of normal for this time of the year.

“But there is still a lot of winter to go,” Snow Survey Supervisor Randy Julander told a crowd of about 250 people at the 2016 Uinta Basin Water Summit at Grace Event Center in Roosevelt on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Julander was the final speaker at the summit that featured speeches from some of the top water experts in the state. The lineup also included two speakers familiar with water needs for the energy industry.

“I felt the speakers did a great job of defining the opportunities and challenges we will face managing Uinta Basin water,” said event coordinator Brett Prevedel, who is the Uinta Basin Salinity Coordinator.

Topics at the summit included Colorado River salinity, future challenges of managing and conserving Utah’s water, Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) water programs for the future, water use by the energy industry, water and energy nexus in Utah, a preview of the 2016 Utah legislative session and water supply outlook. (…)